1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to printing apparatus, print instruction apparatus, image forming apparatus, a printing method and a program having an N-up function (or Nin1 function) for printing out a predetermined number of sheets of original document images on one sheet of paper, and particularly relates to printing apparatus, print instruction apparatus, image forming apparatus, a printing method and a program in which excessive reduction in font size is prevented in the N-up mode so as to prevent readability from being spoiled and thereby reduce waste of paper.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following documents are relevant to the invention.                Patent Document 1: JP-A-2001-157033        Patent Document 2: JP-A-2001-169087        Patent Document 3: JP-A-7-156449        Patent Document 4: JP-A-8-183222        
Printing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 performs Nin1 processing as follows. That is, when an original document is recognized as an original document including images different in direction at the time of Nin1 setting, at least N pages of the original document to be disposed in one and the same page of paper with their directions remaining as they are reduced uniformly at one and the same reduction rate while preventing the images from being damaged. Thus, Nin1 printing can be performed even on an original document including images different in direction so that the images are prevented from being damaged while the print is made as easy to read as possible.
Printing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 recognizes an undisposed area where no original document image has been disposed in a print area corresponding to one page of paper, and determines whether one selected original document image can be printed in the undisposed area or not. When it can be printed, the original document image is disposed in the undisposed area. When it cannot be printed, the original document image is disposed in a print area of another page. Thus, it is determined whether one selected original document image can be printed in a blank space or not, so that images are prevented from being damaged in Nin1 printing while the print is made as easy to read as possible.
Printing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 3 has a memory for storing basic fonts of characters each made up of a dot pattern of 42×42 dots, a memory for storing basic fonts of portrait images each made up of a dot pattern of 32×32 dots, an input section for inputting print data, a printing section for printing the print data on paper, and a conversion section for expanding the basic fonts. When the print data includes characters and portrait images, the basic fonts of the portrait images are expanded 3/2 times by the conversion section so that the characters and the portrait images are printed in one and the same size. Thus, images and characters different in basic font size can be printed in one and the same size.
Printing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 4 has an input section, a print range specifying section, a storage section, a printing size determining section and a printing section. Print data is inputted from the input section. The print range specifying section specifies a print range on a printing medium. The storage section stores character font data. The printing size determining section determines the printing size of the print data on the basis of the quantity of the print data inputted from the input section and the print range specified by the print range specifying section. By the printing section, the character font data stored in the storage section and corresponding to the print data inputted from the input section is printed on the printing medium within the range specified by the print range specifying section in accordance with the printing size determined by the printing size determining section. Thus, data can be printed or displayed while character fonts having the optimal size are selected in accordance with the size of the print range or the display range, the number of input characters, and the like.
However, in the related-art printing apparatus, print data is made up in accordance with the N-up number (the number of sheets to be printed on one sheet of paper in the Nin1 processing) specified by a user regardless of the font size in the original document. Thus, when the N-up number is set at a large value, the font size in the printing result becomes so small that the readability may be spoiled.
In addition, assume that the N-up function is used to make the number of print sheets as small as possible while the font size in the printing result is prevented from being not larger than a certain size. In this case, the user has to execute a print job practically and confirm the font size in the printing result of the print job. If it is not an expected result, adjusting the N-up number and reprinting will have to be repeated. Thus, not only does the user spend labor and time but waste of paper also occurs due to printing for confirming the font size.